The practice of veterinary medicine has changed in many ways during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the impact of these changes is felt at every level of patient care. Going to the vet can be frightening for our pets even under normal circumstances, and we have seen firsthand how encountering a team of strangers in face masks compounds the stress and fear experienced by patients. In this video, our behavior resident and part-time general practice and emergency veterinarian, Dr. Kim Krug, addresses some key ways to help your pet stay comfortable during curb-side veterinary services and all of the unique experiences our dogs and cats are acclimating to under these new circumstances.

Interested in learning more about how our virtual consultations work? Practice owner Dr. Pachel has put together a quick video on what to expect when working with ABC within our virtual format. As always, please let us know if you have any questions about what to expect for your pet’s appointment with us.

As of Monday, March 23rd, 2020, Oregon Governor Kate Brown has implemented a statewide order to stay home to the maximum extent possible while practicing social distancing during the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. In order to continue providing our community with veterinary behavior services that keep our clients and employees safe and respect the Governor’s guidelines, the Animal Behavior Clinic is rolling out the following important policy changes and updates:

Expanding Virtual Service Offerings

• All consultations with ABC veterinarians will henceforth be conducted by telephone or video chat (utilizing Zoom video conferencing)
  • This includes new patient assessments, allowable under the temporary suspension of the need for an in-person examination prior to providing telemedicine directly to veterinary clients/patients via the Governor’s ordinance and as directed by the Oregon Veterinary Medical Examining Board (see https://www.oregon.gov/ovmeb/Pages/index.aspx and https://www.oregon.gov/gov/Documents/executive_orders/eo_20-03.pdf for details)
• All behavior modification sessions will be conducted via video chat (utilizing Zoom video conferencing), or, in select cases, outdoors, weather permitting, maintaining a distance of 6 feet between persons at all times
• Vet-to-Vet phone consultations for assisting other veterinarians with their patients will continue with increased ABC veterinarian availability for these calls
• For additional details on our services and what to expect when working with us, please visit our Services and FAQs pages

While these changes are new in some ways, we have been serving many long-distance clients using this model with success for years. We are hopeful that remaining operational in all facets of what we do will enable steadying, positive behavior change for our clients and patients in this time of heightened fear and stress. We welcome and appreciate any feedback as we embark on these changes, and remain committed to providing our patients with the most current, effective, and compassionate behavior care possible.

A date of returning to in-person appointments is indefinite at this time, and we will remain ready to adapt to the needs of the public and all city/state/federal ordinances as this crisis unfolds.

Thank you and be well,
Maren & the Animal Behavior Clinic Team